Range pastry chef Michelle Polzine says she had the hardest time conjuring up a name for her forthcoming cafe. She tried forever, but oftentimes the clever ones didn’t seem as clever the next day. Then one day, a friend put her on the spot and demanded to know Polzine’s favorite film. Polzine’s response was easy: Twentieth Century, starring Carole Lombard and John Barrymore.

A name was born.

Polzine has signed a lease for her new project, 20th Century Cafe. It’s on the Hayes Valley corner of Oak and Gough, in an old laundromat across the street from another forthcoming project, Rich Table.

The inspiration for 20th Century Cafe is the Danube region, and its cities like Budapest, Vienna and Prague.

“I feel like that’s where the pastry traditions and coffee traditions come from — and where they come together,” Polzine says, adding that the building itself is a historical one, dating back to the early teens, that lends itself well to that era. She says she likes the neighborhood, because it’s both vibrant and bikeable from her Mission home (she doesn’t drive, and jokes: “You should feel safer than I’m not behind a wheel!”).

Food-wise, there will be both savory and sweet components to the cafe. Polzine says she loves the ingredients found in Viennoiseries and the region’s pastries, like apricots, poppyseeds and so on. Since myriad restaurants these days have consulting pastry chefs rather than in-house pastry chefs, Polzine figured she could have a consulting savory chef. Peter Temkin — the charcutier for Show Dogs — is a friend of hers, and they’re making things like pastrami and Polish dogs. Polzine is also excited about savory items like duck dumplings and duck liver. And sour cream, of course.

The 800-square-foot space requires a full build-out, so she’s not anticipating an opening until early 2013. In the meantime, she’ll continue to work at Range.

“I’m doing a cafe because I’m a pastry chef … and it’s a pastry chef’s restaurant.”